Conservation partnership grants worth $2.2 million announced
ALBANY, N.Y. » NewYork State Department of Environmental Conservation ( DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced Friday more than $2.2 million in Conservation Partnership Program grants for 50 not-for-profit land trusts across the state.
A total of 69 grants funded through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund will leverage an additional $2.6 million in private and local funding to support projects that protect water quality and farmland, boost public access for outdoor recreation, and conserve open space to benefit community health, tourism, and economic development. The Land Trust Alliance administers the Conservation Partnership Program in coordination with DEC.
“Over the last year, New Yorkers young and old have been exploring the outdoors in record numbers,” Seggos stated.
“Land trusts across the state help to preserve and manage some of the special, natural places that the public has come to love. The grants announced today support forest management, conservation agriculture, coastal and wetlands restoration, and other activities that are essential to help address climate change and preserve the ecosystems we depend on. We commend the Land Trust Alliance for administering this important program,” Seggos explained.
In addition, the $2.2 million in Conservation Partnership Program grants and $2.6 million in private and local funding will increase state lands’ resilience to the changing climate and contribute to climate solutions by storing carbon. Natural climate solutions will have a significant role in addressing risks associated with climate change.
The grant awards announced range from $3,161 to $100,000. Below are the awarded sites in the Capital Region:
Capital District – (total
$647,946)
Agricultural Stewardship Association: Capacity Grant $28,900; Stewardship& Resource Management Grant $50,000
American Farmland Trust: Catalyst Grant $40,000
Battenkill Conservancy: Capacity Grant $30,000
Capital Roots: Transaction
Grant $18,000
Columbia Land Conservancy: Catalyst Grant $74,600
Grassland Bird Trust: Capacity Grant $30,000
Greene Land Trust: Capacity Grant $29,300
Huyck Preserve and Biological Resource Station: Capacity Grant $32,975; Transaction Grant $11,100
Lake George Land Conservancy: Stewardship & Resource Management Grant $23,300
Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy: Professional Development Grant $33,710
The Nature Conservancy: Catalyst Grant $60,000
Northeastern Cave Conservancy: Transaction Grant $3,161
Rensselaer Land Trust: Professional Development Grant $ 60,000; Transaction Grant $23,000
Rensselaer Plateau Alliance: Transaction Grant $47,700
Saratoga PLAN: Capacity Grant $ 36,000; Transaction Grant $16,200
This year’s grantees include 34 accredited land trusts that have secured independent verification that their work and operations meet high standards for land conservation, stewardship, and nonprofit management. Accredited grantees include Adirondack Land Trust, Agricultural Stewardship Association, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, ChamplainArea Trails, Columbia Land Conservancy, Dutchess Land Conservancy, Finger Lakes Land
Trust, Genesee Land Trust, Greene Land Trust, Huyck Preserve, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Indian River Lakes Conservancy, Lake George Land Conservancy, Mianus River Gorge, MohawkHudson Land Conservancy, Mohonk Preserve, Northeast Wilderness Trust, North Shore Land Alliance, Open Space Institute, Orange County Land Trust, Otsego Land Trust, Peconic Land Trust, Rensselaer Land Trust, Rensselaer Plateau Alliance, Saratoga PLAN (Saratoga Preserving Land and Nature), Scenic Hudson Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Thousand Islands Land Trust, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, Wallkill Valley Land Trust, Westchester Land Trust, Western New York Land Conservancy, Winnakee Land Trust, and Woodstock Land Conservancy.
Since the Conservation Partnership Program’s inception in 2002, and including this year’s grants, the program has awarded 997 grants totaling $21.7 million to 91 land trusts. Cumulatively, the State’s investment has leveraged $23.8 million in additional funding fromlocal and private sources.
“At a time when we increasingly value open spaces and need our economy to rebound, this funding will leverage the strength of New York’s land trust community to protect the outdoor places people depend on,” Andrew Bowman, the Land Trust Alliance’s president and CEO stated.
“On behalf of the Land Trust Alliance, I applaud Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart- Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Assemblyman Steve Englebright for their work toward ensuring the continued availability of clean water, healthy food, outdoor recreation, and economic opportunity,” Bowman noted.
New York’s investment in land conservation and open space supports local businesses, saves taxpayer dollars, and protects public health. The Trust for Public Land found that every $1 invested by New York’s Environmental Protection Fund generated $7 in total economic benefits from enhanced tourism, reduced government costs and improved public health. In the 2020-21 State Budget, Governor Cuomo sustained the record high EPF at $300 million for the fifth year in a row, providing funding for open space conservation, parkland stewardship, and other environmental protection projects.
Earlier this year, DEC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) launched the PLAY SMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL campaign to encourage all New Yorkers to recreate safely, responsibly, and locally this summer and to always treat fellow outdoor adventurers with respect. The campaign invites people to take the PLAYSMART * PLAY SAFE * PLAY LOCAL pledge and promise to use common sense to protect themselves and others when enjoying the outdoors. During the State’s ongoing response to COVID-19, New Yorkers across the state want and need to get outside for a nature break, which is good for physical and mental health.
The campaign and pledge include common sense guidelines for smart and safe recreation, including incorporating social distancing and wearing a face mask, planning trips ahead, choosing a destination close to home because public restrooms and restaurants may not be open, and visiting at off hours. The agencies are also encouraging New Yorkers to take the pledge and use the hashtag #PlaySmartPlaySafePlayLocalwhen sharing their outdoor adventures on social media.